QUINN FLAP: Chicago - Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn said his boss's administration is being "bone-headed" by cutting $100,000 in assistance to a state program that helps local governments pay for heart defibrillators. Quinn and Gov. Rod Blagojevich have become politically estranged amid the recent battle over a state budget and how to pay for it. Ramsey. Evening/Illinois and Illinois News

APPLE ORCHARDS: How to spend a fall day at a local apple orchard. What apples are in season now, and what orchards have to offer. ROBERTS/Rockford. With photos and local breakout. 6 p.m. /Illinois and Illinois News

REVERSE BATMAN: Gotham City had Bruce Wayne. Metropolis, Clark Kent. Everyday men who led secret second lives as mysterious, uniformed crimefighters, uprooting corruption in the corridors of power as often as they beat down a punk in a dirty back alley. Chicago -- an altogether darker place -- isn’t so lucky. But it does have Second City Cop, a kind of Batman in reverse. Janssen, Southtown. On wire now / Illinois

LAWSUIT RESPONSE: Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is asking the courts to dismiss a lawsuit over Gov. Rod Blagojevich's authority to set the date and time of special sessions. In a cover letter to House members, Madigan took a shot at Blagojevich. "It is in the best interest of any democratic republic that incipient tyrannical behavior and tendencies be recognized and rebuked whenever they rear their ugly heads ..." Madigan wrote. Finke. Evening / Illinois and Illinois News

AMEREN STORMS: The Illinois Commerce Commission is meeting this afternoon in Springfield to hear from Ameren officials about the company's response to the Aug. 23 storms that hit Galesburg and other places particularly hard, knocking out electricity. Colindres. Evening / Illinois and Illinois News

WELLER HOPEFULS: Tari Renner, an Illinois Wesleyan University professor who ran for Congress as a Democrat against GOP incumbent Jerry Weller, is eyeing another run now that Weller is retiring. He says his decision depends largely on whether state Sen. Debbie Halvorson, a Democrat, enters the race. Trying to reach Halvorson. Colindres. Evening / Illinois and Illinois News

MENAGERIE SUIT (possible): From Margaret Avenue in the Frey subdivision on Springfield's far west side, chickens, ducks, geese and other animals can be seen scurrying around the backyard of Sheri McLean and Stan Westphal in the 900 block of McKibbin Lane. They also have two goats, rabbits and guineas, according to neighbors, who say the total number of animals tops 50.For that, 18 of them are suing McLean and Westphal in Sangamon County Circuit Court, saying that the presence of so many animals violates the subdivision's covenants. WETTERICH/SPRINGFIELD/photo checking/Illinois News

BUYER BEWARE: Sierra Club has sent letters to dozens of Midwest communities, including Chatham, warning they could get stuck with any increased costs for the Peabody Energy plant in southern Illinois if they invest in the plant (Chatham happens to be among Illinois communities part of the deal through the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency). Tlandis, Springfield

CONSTRUCTION CAREERS: The Construction Industry Career Expo starts today, and we'll be down there this morning while District 150 kids are visiting. The four-day event provides students an opportunity to look at careers in the construction industry. More than 1,200 kids from Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford and Fulton are expected to attend. JELLICK, Peoria. Evening / Illinois and Illinois News

BUY BACK (possible): Checking with police to see if they are going forward with this weekend’s planned gun buy-back (there seemed to be some question) and when it will be. RADOSEVICH, Peoria. Evening / Illinois and Illinois News

NO BREW: The Bloomington City Council has denied a liquor license request for a new Bloomington cinema on a 5-4 vote. We'll talk to council members who voted for and against the license and get comment from cinema owner. DOUBET, Peoria. Evening / Illinois and Illinois News

GUARD RETURNS: About 70 members of the Bloomington-based 33rd Military Police Battalion return to town Thursday to a celebration. BUEDEL, Peoria. Evening / Illinois and Illinois News

ILLINI FOOTBALL: Notebook on Illinois as it prepares to host No. 21 Penn State Saturday. SUPINIE/Champaign/Illinois sports and Big Ten. Moving early evening.

MINOR LEAGUES: Illinois and officials with the independent Frontier League are negotiating about the possibility of bringing minor league baseball to Champaign. The deal would help the athletic department by improving the stadium, which in turn could help recruiting and building a bigger fan base. SUPINIE/Champaign/Illinois sports and Big Ten. Moving early evening.